MU makes volleyball tournament

For Missouri volleyball Coach Wayne Kreklow, the most exhilarating element of the postseason is that it’s unscripted.

“At tournament time,” he said, “anything can happen.”

The Tigers will open the NCAA Tournament this weekend at a site where they proved that last season.

A year after defeating host Northern Iowa in the biggest first-round upset in tournament history, Missouri is headed back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. MU (21-12, 7-9 Big 12) will play its first-round match at 5 p.m. Friday against Southeastern Conference power Florida (24-5), with either host Northern Iowa (32-1) — the sixth overall seed of the 64-team tournament — or Niagara (25-8) awaiting as a potential second-round opponent.

Missouri is making its second straight tournament appearance and 10th in 12 years, though few trips have been more improbable.

The Tigers, one of the nation’s youngest teams with eight underclassmen among their top 10 players, appeared mired in a painful rebuilding year after losing four of their first five conference matches. But they responded with five wins in their next seven league matches, compiling a résumé strong enough to withstand three straight November defeats to ranked opponents. MU likely secured one of the Big 12’s seven bids with a sweep over Texas Tech on Saturday.

“It’s remarkable for such a group of young kids to really persevere through this season,” Kreklow said from Lubbock, Texas, where the Tigers spent the night as their chartered plane underwent mechanical repairs. “It’s been a long season, and it’s been tough for those kids. We’ve pushed them pretty hard.

“There were times early on when I just didn’t know if we had too many young kids or if they were ready for the challenge. … I couldn’t be more happy for them. I still don’t think they realize the significance of what they’ve done.”

The Tigers will play Florida in a rare down year for their future SEC East rival. Although the Gators are making their 21st straight tournament appearance, they will not be among the top 16 national seeds for only the second time in program history.

Florida Coach Mary Wise, who has led UF to seven Final Fours in her 21 seasons, called MU “easily one of the toughest opponents we’ve ever had in the first round.”